The Reason For The Journey
by Felix Sterreira
Summary: AU Rekka and Sacred Stones xover. Mark of Elibe is hired by Princess Eirika to be a royal tactician of Renais on the same day Grado attacks. Mark and co must defeat the Demon King with some help from a few intercontinental friends. Rated T to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

The Reason for the Journey

Chapter 1

The Day Of The Fall Of Renais 

"Goodbye, Mark," Eliwood said, tears in his eyes. "I know we'll meet again someday…"

Mark woke up. He was on a ship. He had left the continent of Elibe two months ago. He was about to land on the continent of Magvel, where he had received a commission to be a royal tactician of Renais. Princess Eirika had heard of his skills from one of her cross-continental spies. So after parting with Eliwood, Hector, Lyn, and all his other friends, he was on his way to another country. He remembered how everyone had one thing to say to him before he left. He remembered everyone's comment distinctly. As usual, the memories depressed him, so he ran through some of the funnier comments. Perhaps the one that had touched him most had been the one he least expected. Farina. She had given him all his money back, all 20,000 gold pieces. The only thing she had to say was a terse 'Working for you was its own reward.'

Of course, Lyn, Hector, and Eliwood were very nice as well. Mark just had to force a promise out of Legault and Matthew that they would keep their noses relatively clean. The shadowy Renault had smiled and nodded. His words were 'You're going where he is next, aren't you?'

The fact was, Mark didn't know who 'he' was. But the boat was landing, and he had to look sharp. As he walked off the gangplank on to a port, a man walked over to him. A horse was a little way behind the man, who had brown hair and wore white armor.

"I am Seth, the General of Renais," he said. "Lady Eirika sent me to escort you to the palace."

"They call me Mark," said Mark quietly. "I assume I shall be paid in full upon my arrival at the palace."

"Of course. Come. A horse has been prepared for you."

"Very well." Another horse indeed walked up matter-of-factly. It seemed to glare at him. Despite this, he got on and rode.

It was but one day's ride to Renais Palace. Mark did not know where he had landed, and he had never seen a map of Magvel, but he now knew that there was a town close to Renais. A mental cartographer had to start somewhere.

And how grand the palace was! But it was nothing compared to the Lady Eirika herself. Her hair was pale blue. Mark was quite used to everyone around him having peculiar hair. After all, he had partaken in many conversations with Canas. But blue really took the cake. He wondered if there were any people with purple hair here. Or green, he thought, fondly remembering Nino. Colors were a different thing for Mark. Not that he judged anything on them, but all the different shades were so amazing to look at. Often he remembered people in bursts of color, like what color the sky was when he first met them, what color garment they were wearing, even such unremarkable things as the shade of brown the wood of their bow or sword or axe or whatever they held was made of. The last one applied especially to Rath, who came in and out of the company bow first.

"Sir Mark of Elibe," said Eirika kindly. "Let me show you the palace."

"So," said Mark as they walked. The palace was quite nice, but he did not particularly care. Seth had gone, and he was alone with the princess. "What war have I been hired for?" He abruptly found out. Seth came galloping through the palace on his horse.

"Lady Eirika!" he called. "The King wants you in the throne room! Grado has attacked the palace!"


	2. Chapter 2

The Reason For The Journey

Chapter 2

Same Day 

"Eirika, you must flee," said King Fado. Mark, Eirika, Seth, and Franz stood around his throne. "Take Seth, Franz, and Mark with you."

"I won't leave you behind!" said the princess courageously.

"I must stay behind. Is this somehow my fault? Grado, our most trusted ally, suddenly attacks? Have I somehow erred?"

"Of course not!" A soldier in bright blue armor came up to the King.

"Sir. They come."

"Seth, take Eirika and go. Mark, ride with Franz. Hear me, tactician. I am counting on you to keep my daughter safe."

"Yes, sir," whispered Mark. He didn't think this job was going to be so rough in the first half hour he was on it. He got on the back of Franz's horse and they rode out to a canyon.

"Franz," said Seth to the young knight. "Let Mark off." The tactician climbed down. "Now go to Frelia. Seek aid. We will catch up with you soon enough."

"Yes sir!" Franz was over enthusiastic. Mark made a note of that for coming battles. The boy rode off. Right as he left, a man on wyvern-back came flying in. He and Seth exchanged threats while Mark breathed heavily. In his first hour with Eliwood he had not experienced such discomfort. Suddenly, the man on wyvern-back and Seth fought. Seth received a painful-looking wound, and he grabbed Eirika and Mark before riding off, screaming with the agony.

They made it to a small path between mountains, and the General seemed to calm down. He took a sword out of his bag. A rapier. The sight of it made Mark's heart ache with the memory of Eliwood, Hector, and Lyn.

"Princess. Take this rapier. In case I fall, you must go on." The princess took it in her hand. It was so similar to the one Eliwood used. Suddenly, some rough-looking soldiers holding axes stormed up the path.

"So this is the Princess of Renais?" the lead one said. Mark read the badge on his shirt. Grado Troop Leader O'Neill. "Pitiful. Well, one must do what one must." He stalked off to the back of the path and his two cronies lined up.

"Mark, command us," Seth said. "This is our first battle together. Let us hope it is not a fatal one."

Mark was in his element. The only thing that hurt was watching Eirika fight. She was so much like Eliwood had been. But then, his first battle with Eliwood had been against that bandit whose name no one could pronounce. Here, actual soldiers were after them. Shouting orders, he watched Eirika strike a devastating blow to finish O'Neill off.

"Nice job, Eirika," he said as they regrouped. "So now we can move on. Where are we going next?"

"A place called Border Mulan. Franz will meet up with us there, and we can proceed to Castle Frelia," Seth said, taking out a map. Mark examined it with great interest. So this was Magvel. He noted that Grado was very large. But then again, for some reason, it didn't seem as threatening as Bern and the Black Fang.

"Come. We ride," Eirika said, and indeed they did. After around thirty minutes, they got to a castle on a cliff. A man in green clothing with a two-handed sword appeared to be guarding it.

"That's a Frelian regular," Seth said. "He'll let us in." Suddenly a heavily-armored soldier with such dark red attire that it almost appeared to be soaked with dry blood marched up the cliff with a regiment of soldiers.

"I am Breuget of Grado! Move, Frelian cur!" he called to the Frelian guard.

"Grado, huh?" asked the green-clothed man jauntily. "Allow me to show you how a Frelian fights!"

"Fool. Taste my lance!" Breuget shouted. He twirled his lance in the air and stabbed the Frelian before he had a chance to move. Then he marched on to the gate of the castle.

"We can probably slip through without having to fight him," Seth whispered.

"But we aren't going to," Eirika whispered back. "Mark, do you think we can defeat him?"

"I am inclined to believe that we could if Franz shows up with reinforcements," the tactician replied.

"Milady, we cannot bet our lives on Franz coming with reinforcements," Seth proclaimed urgently.

"I'm prepared to. Mark, take command. We're going to reclaim the castle."


End file.
